Leaders pushing to change mayor’s annual speech

Mayor of Harlingen Chris Boswell addresses event attendees and media Friday for the annual Harlingen State of the City Address at the Harlingen Convention Center. (Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald)

HARLINGEN — The mayor’s annual State of the City address might be moving to a bigger venue after the work day — and it might be free.

Earlier this week, city commissioners didn’t have the paperwork they needed to call the proposal to a vote.

So they’re planning to take action during their next meeting April 20.

“There’s an ordinance that needs to be amended and it wasn’t included in our packets,” Commissioner Frank Puente said Thursday, referring to commissioners’ document packets distributed before Wednesday’s meeting.

Puente and Commissioner Rene Perez are proposing placing the annual address in the city’s code of ordinances to “regulate” parts of the event, the meeting’s agenda states.

“There are a couple of reasons people don’t go — because it’s held at noon and people have to work and, more importantly, the general public can’t afford this event,” Puente said.

Moving the event to bigger venue

As part of the proposal, Puente and Perez are calling on commissioners to change the time of the event traditionally held at noon to allow working residents to attend, Perez said.

“Any State of the City address that uses public funds and the work of city employees must be held after 5:45 p.m.,” he said. “The State of the City address is meant for the residents of Harlingen to see how the city is doing so it’s only common sense for it to be held when the majority of residents are able to attend.”

Meanwhile, Puente said he wants to move the event from the Harlingen Convention Center to a bigger venue.

For decades, the Rotary Club of Harlingen, which sponsors the event, held the address at noon at Casa de Amistad.

Since 2019, the club’s held the noon event at the Harlingen Convention Center.

“We want to get it moved to a larger facility where more could attend instead of just a privileged few,” Puente said.

Calling for free event

While the Rotary Club of Harlingen sponsors the event, the city helps fund it, with high-priced tickets going to help raise money for charities.

Now, Puente wants to make it a free event.

“We want to make sure it’s open to the public so they don’t have to pay for it,” he said.

Meanwhile, Puente expressed concern taxpayer money helps fund the event.

This year, the city spent $14,395 to help put on the event, City Manager Gabriel Gonzalez said.

Of the total, $6,795 went to pay for projection screens, microphones, sound and video recording along with linens, flowers and table-top “promotional items,” he said.

Meanwhile, he said, $7,600 went to buy meals for guests.

“I’m not comfortable with the taxpayers paying for the facility and decorations,” Puente said. “If anything, the Rotary Club should reimburse the city for that.”

Boswell’s side

Meanwhile, Mayor Chris Boswell, who denies claims he uses the State of the City address to promote his record as mayor, said he believes politics is behind the proposal as the May 7 election gets closer.

“There’s lots of politics going on right now,” he said.

Every year, he said, commissioners approve the event’s expenditure as part of the city’s general fund budget.

Boswell said the annual address, which aims to present the city’s condition, including its financial standing and projects, is free to the public while it’s also live-streamed.

Across the nation and in the Rio Grande Valley, many cities hold similar State of the City addresses, he said.

Since about the time of its founding 99 years ago, the Rotary Club has sponsored the event, which helps raise money for charities, Lucy Cadenas, the club’s president, said.